SQL Server 2008 R2 Frequently Asked Questions

Got questions about the new features in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2? Can’t wait for R2’s release date? Here’s the answers I’ve been giving out most often to database administrators wondering about the changes in SQL Server 2008 R2 vs SQL Server 2008.

When will SQL Server 2008 R2 be released?

Microsoft hasn’t set the exact release date yet, but it’s widely expected in the first half of 2010.

SQL Server 2008 R2 Utility Explorer

What’s the cost to upgrade to SQL 2008 R2?

If you’ve got Software Assurance for your SQL Server 2008 licensing, then you get all R2 updates included for free. If you don’t have SA, then you’ll need to decide whether the new features in SQL Server 2008 R2 vs SQL Server 2008 will be worth the cost of upgrading, because you won’t get SQL 2008 R2 for free. R2 is not considered a service pack.

What are the new features and changes?

From a very high level, here’s the changes in R2:

Database Engine – not much new here. There’s some infrastructure introductions to support Data-Tier Applications in the future, but they’re not too useful as of the August CTP. I blogged about it in a 3-part series starting with this article about How SQL 2008 R2 is Like Virtualization for Databases. If you’ve heard the terms Utility Control Point, Utility Explorer, or SQL Server Utility, I’ve got your answers in that series.
Business Intelligence – there’s a ton of new functionality for self-service BI in SQL Server Analysis Services 2008 R2. Excel 2010 will act as a client for SSAS. You can learn more about it in this screenshot-packed review of what’s new in Project Gemini and this pivot table tutorial for Project Gemini.
Scale-Out Servers – if you need to scale a data warehouse beyond a single server, you’ll want to keep an eye on Project Madison. It’s the result of Microsoft’s acquisition of DATAllegro.
T-SQL Enhancements – got nothin’ for you here. No new commands, no new data types, no new stored procedure goodies.

Will I need Visual Studio 2010 to edit DAC Packs?

Data-tier application projects, new with SQL 2008 R2, can’t be edited with SQL Server Management Studio. You’ll need the upcoming release of Visual Studio 2010 to create and edit .dacpac files.

Where can I download the SQL Server 2008 R2 CTP?

MSDN and Technet subscribers can download 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition now for free. Check in the SQL Server 2008 section of the download site, or click here to download SQL Server 2008 R2 for free. Keep in mind that this is a preview build, not a feature-compete beta. It should not be used in production. When databases are attached to a SQL 2008 R2 server, their version number is upgraded to 660, and these databases cannot be reattached to an older (SQL 2008) server.

Why isn’t the next version called SQL Server 2010?

Microsoft is following the precedent set with Windows Server 2003 R2, which added some features but wasn’t a groundbreaking change. SQL 2008 R2 does include some pretty cool stuff, but it doesn’t include major earth-shaking changes in the database engine itself.